absolutelybelleville.com Blog

Free Photo Editing Software – Five Recommended Programs For Image Editing
If you have read my article, Free Photo Editing Software – What Features Should I Look For, then you will have some ideas of tools that are available. Although there are many editing programs available, I have used quite a few. These below are ones that I would recommend. They are all free.

Paint.net

This software is pretty straight forward and easy to use. It also offers some advanced features, such as layers and curves. It’s resizing screen showing your image only appears after you do a save. This is not bad, as long as you are aware of it.

Irfanview

Know mostly as an image viewer, Irfanview is an editor also. It has a multitude of features, such as batch resize and being able to change thumbnail sizes when viewing your images. It also offers a huge amount of image file types if you want to change the extension of a photo.

That being said, I find this program to be the most confusing to use. I do not use it regularly. I would assume that if I did, I would get used to it. It does, however, have a lot to offer.

FastStone Image Viewer

Again, great as an image viewer with some very useful features. I like that you can view images, the original and a duplicate for editing, together. Once you have enlarged a photo to take up the full screen, various options are available by moving your mouse to the top, bottom, left or right parts of the screen.

For example, go to the top of the screen and a thumbnail strip of all of your images in that folder will appear. You can click on any image and it will then be the full screen photo. This is a useful tool, allowing you to work with a full screen image and easily see your other pics in the folder.

Web Resizer

This is actually a website. Its strong feature is how it resizes pictures, but you can also do some simple edits. It is very easy to use. It clearly shows what your image will look like by comparing different file sizes for the same picture. Upload a photo to work with it, and then download it to save it on your computer.

Picasa 3

Picasa 3 is photo editing software, but it also offers some other things. As an editor, it has a wide range of tools, divided into three categories. Its other features are that it is an image viewer and organizer. You can also send your digital photos to an online printer. If you choose to use Picasa Web Albums as an online photo sharing site (and for storage), you can sync it with Picasa 3 so that edits and changes made in Picas 3 will automatically be made in Picasa Web Albums.

You can download any of these free programs and try them out. Although none does everything, you will most likely find one that meets most of your needs.

www.absolutelybelleville.com email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

Useful Tips to Choose the Best Gaming Motherboard
Motherboard is the heart of the whole computer system. It is the part that connects all the other parts together and make sure they run smoothly. As such, choosing the best gaming motherboard is the most important task that you need to do when building a gaming computer. This article will teach you how to choose the best gaming motherboard.

Decide which type of CPU to use

This may seem irrelevant to choosing a motherboard. In actual fact, this is the most important thing you need to do before selecting a motherboard. The reason being that the type of CPU will determine the type of motherboard you need. For example, if you choose an Intel CPU, then you have to get the socket 775 motherboard or else the CPU won’t fit into the motherboard. Deciding on the type of CPU will help you to make a better choice when choosing the best gaming motherboard.

Determine if the motherboard supports the type of CPU you have chosen

As mentioned before, if you are using an Intel CPU, you have to get a socket 775 motherboard whereas an AMD CPU requires a socket AM2 motherboard. In addition, some of the older socket 775 motherboards do not support dual core processors (even though they use the same socket) or even quad-core processors. Check out the manufacturer’s website to get confirmation before you buy the motherboard.

Overclocking feature

If you are overclocking your CPU, you have to get a motherboard that allows you to change the FSB speed and CPU voltage in small increments.

RAM support and no of memory slot

Your motherboard must be able to support DDR2 RAM, for a simple reason that DDR2 is currently the fastest RAM in the market. Extra thing to take note is the maximum speed of RAM that the motherboard supports. Some motherboards can support only up to DDR2 667MHz RAM while the latest ones can support up to DDR3 1666MHz.

In addition, you may want to upgrade your RAM in the future, therefore your current motherboard must have at least 4 memory slots and can support up to 16GB RAM so that you have the option to upgrade in the future.

SLI/ Crossfire ready

SLI / Crossfire ready motherboard means that you can make use of two identical high performing graphics card to render the graphics, thus achieving faster and more realistic video effects. Not every motherboard supports this feature. As video effects getting more and more advanced, it will be soon that SLI or Crossfire technology becomes the standard for video display. Therefore, even if you are not using this technology now, it is still advisable to get a gaming motherboard with SLI or Crossfire feature.

SATA 2 controller

SATA2 can transfer data at twice the speed of SATA 1. When it comes to gaming, every single speed counts and that increase in speed might be the deciding factor in your game. A SATA 2 port is backward compatible with SATA 1 devices, but not the other way round. It is better for you to get a motherboard that supports SATA 2 devices. In addition, if you are using RAID, then you have to get a motherboard that has four SATA 2 ports.

Extra Features

You might want to consider extra features such as extra USB2.0 ports, firewire, integrated LAN and front-panel LED when choosing a gaming motherboard. Some of the motherboards contain more features than the other and you have to compare around to see the differences.

Features such as integrated sound and video are not as important in the best gaming motherboard since they could not contribute well to a good gaming session. For a gaming computer, you have to get a separate graphics card and sound card so as to play the latest game in the market.

Conclusion

When getting the best gaming motherboard, it is worthwhile to do some market research and compare with various boards. Since it is the most important part in the whole computer system, don’t ever scrimp money on it.
http://gamers.absolutelybelleville.com email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

Wireless Network Trouble Shooting: Hidden Wireless Secrets
Do you always notice your wireless adapter is always dropping and reconnecting to your wireless network? If you don’t know what I mean just watch the balloon in the bottom right hand corner of you windows Xp task bar. Your wireless adapter should stay connected and that’s it if you are constantly connecting and reconnecting then you have problems.
1. Update your wireless adapters Driver – To obtain the most updater driver for your wireless adapter proceed to the manufactures website and go the support section. They should ask you for your model of wireless adapter, leading you to the most up to date driver for your wireless adapter. Updating your wireless adapter is very important because if you are trying to connect to a network that is using WPA2 most of the initial drivers already have patches out. After you re-install your wireless adapter’s driver then you will need to restart you computer.
2. Next if this still doesn’t work you should take the battery out of your laptop and hold the power button down for about a minute. Not sure of the exact details of why this works but it does have something to do with getting rid of all the static charges that might interfere with your wireless adapter.
3. Stopping and restarting windows Xp wireless zero configuration utility – Proceed to the run menus and type msconfig, then go to services and go all the way down to the bottom and uncheck the wireless zero configuration utility and then restart your computer. Next after your wireless laptop is powered up then we will restart the wireless zero configuration utility, go to the run menu again and typ. services.msc, press W to go all the way to the bottom and then right click the wireless zero config services and press start.
4. Delete all of you wireless network profiles – Reconfigure all your wireless network profiles by typing in your SSID, WPA, WPA2 and passphrase. Try using WPA2 but not use AES encryption, use mixed or TKIP this might help.
5. Update all of your wireless access points Firmware – When WPA2 first came out all wireless hardware companies rushed out updated drivers and firmware, well most of those drivers and firmware’s had minor glitches which have been fixed now.
6. Change your wireless adapters stickiness – In you wireless adapters advanced properties check to see that your wireless adapters stickiness is set to medium – Stickiness means how aggressively your wireless router will jump from access point to access point in order to find the best signal. If it is set to high you might end up losing more that gaining.
The first things I would do before doing anything else is updating your wireless adapter’s firmware and then deleting your wireless network profiles.
www.absolutelybelleville.com or email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

We have all heard those horror stories about large companies, from banks and insurance companies to credit card processing firms, losing track of tons of customer data, putting themselves and their customers at risk. While these incidents certainly capture the headlines, the truth is that data loss is a risk for every computer user, not only for those large companies.
Anyone who uses a computer is at risk for data loss, and that loss of personal data can be just as devastating to the individual as to the corporation. It is important therefore for every person who uses a computer to take the steps necessary to protect their important data from loss or theft.
One of the first lines of data defense is a strong virus protection program. There are many virus protection programs on the market, and most do an excellent job at protecting computers from both established and emerging threats to your personal data. In addition, a good anti-spyware program, combined with virus protection, is a great way to make sure your personal data stays that way.
Learning to avoid phishing scams and similar email swindles is another important part of personal data protection. There are many unscrupulous individuals and organizations out there seeking to steal personal data by pretending to be banks, online auction houses and other legitimate businesses. If you receive an email asking for personal data, even if it seems legitimate, it is a good idea to verify its authenticity with the company claiming to have sent it, and never to click on the link within the email until you are sure your data is safe.
With so much personal data stored on computers around the world these days, the challenges to the safety of that data are only expected to grow. It is important therefore to pay attention to data protection, and to take data protection seriously. Protecting your personal data from theft starts with your own common sense and vigilance.
Protecting personal data means many things to many different people. To the business executive, protecting the important personal information of employees, customers and others is a vital business interest, and companies have been sued for millions of dollars for losing track of that vital personal information. On the consumer level, loss and theft of personal data is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world, and it is important for everyone, from corporate CEO to individual consumer, to protect themselves in an insecure world.
www.absolutelybelleville.com or email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

THE PROBLEM
You landed after a rough flight, got the last rental car, battled the snowstorm, and finally arrived at the Holly Inn. It’s nice and warm in there, you can relax, ready for the conference tomorrow.
Out of the elevator, of course your room is at the far end of the corridor. No matter, the heating is turned up and you are looking forward to a good night’s rest. You make it to the room door feeling very sleepy. You reach out for the door handle when…Zap! It gets you every time!
THE CAUSE
Static electricity. Everyone knows about it, harmless really, happens when you get out of the car as well. Synthetics are particularly good for generating a good one, along with a dry atmosphere.
Thousands of volts – harmless? just a little shock? To you, maybe, to an electronic circuit static discharge is – death. Not necessarily instant, more likely a weakening effect, causing intermittent failures, the most difficult to catch, until the final solid fault.
THE EFFECT
The problem for an electronic circuit is that they work on 2 or 3 volts at low currents, so when a kilovolt charge turns up, the current which flows is many times more than it is designed for. The effect can be like a fuse, a connection to a microcircuit melts, or is badly damaged. For us there is millions of times less current than would be required to damage any tissue.
The voltage doesn”t need to be enough to cause a zap, an electronic circuit can be damaged by just handling it, touching metal parts. The potential for damage has been growing since transistors, and, particularly integrated circuits were introduced. Vacuum tube circuits used much higher voltages, such that the circuit was more likely to zap the careless technician than the other way round!
THE SOLUTION
We have mentioned, in the history of the computer series, the importance of power supplies and air conditioning controls. These are largely there to make sure the electronics can work in its designed range. When the engineer works on these circuits he must take precautions to ensure this range is not exceeded because of static build-up.
In the workshop, all work must be performed in a static free environment, components are to be stored in anti-static bags or containers, and anyone working on the equipment must ensure he does not allow static discharge through it.
Similarly, when working on the system in the computer room, perhaps removing or replacing a circuit board, or adjusting a circuit, the correct procedures must be followed.

THE EQUIPMENT
This has become more and more complicated as the potential for damage has grown, with the reduction in size and therefore concentration of circuitry. The replacement cost of a pcb can be several hundred thousand dollars!
The front line of defense is the Wrist Strap. This consists of a means of connection to the frame of the machine being worked on, linked to some form of bracelet or band which makes contact with the worker’s skin.
The link is not a normal piece of wire, but has a resistance of 1 Megohm. This high resistance is to reduce the current when connecting to the frame, so as not to cause problems.
The wrist strap itself is usually of some stretch material, with a metal connector for the wire link, and to connect to the wrist. Alternatively, some types have an expanding metal strap, similar to a watch strap.
The connector to the frame may be a metal clip, or a plug to fit a receptacle on the machine, for this purpose.
In the workshop, all work is carried out on an anti-static mat, made of metalized rubber, so that it is conductive. This mat is grounded, and connected to the frame of the equipment being worked on. Anyone working on the equipment must first connect his wrist strap to the mat via the connectors provided.
Another anti-static mat, also grounded, is placed on the floor at the workstation to stand on.
In the computer room, a portable workbench, is provided with an anti-static mat, connected to the machine frame, to place components removed or to be installed on. Bags or containers made from conductive material are on hand, and can also be connected to the mat.
A mat is placed on the floor where work is being carried out, connected to the frame. The people working on the equipment wear anti-static coats made of conductive material. They also have ankle/heel straps. These fit around the ankle, making contact with the skin, and under the heel of the shoe, to make contact with the mat.
Components which have been replaced for suspect problems are returned to the factory for failure analysis. The failed circuit is examined through a microscope to observe the failing area, and to determine if this is a potential problem for other similar circuits. Failures due to electrostatic discharge can also be determined.
THE HOME USER
Now you know the precautions the professionals take, you can understand the necessity for care to be taken when adding memory, or opening your computer for any other reason. If you have a wrist strap, use it. If not at least touch the frame of the computer before reaching inside. And don’t think you don’t need to because it works OK when you close it up again. You could be getting the results of your efforts down the track!
www.absolutelybelleville.com or email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

Rapid growth of modern informational Internet-technologies begets the development of the hardware-software and network infrastructure. However, it also causes a number of negative aspects that influence improvement of the IT-industry.
A wide range of negative, so to say ‘begotten by the Internet’, factors can be pointed out in the computer industry. They include: hackers, viruses, Trojans, SPAM, etc. Lately, another step in the software development – Spyware – appeared in the publicity. This article describes what Spyware is and how it can be fought.
What is Spyware?
Spyware represents ordinary embedded software modules that track and gather different information about your activity during your work on PC, redirect you to various companies’ sites during your surfing the Internet, open advertising banners of every sort and kind, and perform a lot of other unapproved spy activity.
Where can Spyware be “picked up”?
It is not that hard to “pick up” a Spyware. The most assured way of becoming infected is visiting warez sites or adult web-resources. Be sure that your PC is infected if you had visited the sites mentioned above using not up-to-date Internet Explorer and without any antivirus and firewall installed. Why are we so sure about it? The thing is that developers of Spyware-programs do their best to place the infection on as much computers in the network as possible, so any new breach in the browser is a splendid opportunity for them.
Also, it often happens that Spyware-modules are bundled with different software. A perfect example of that are P2P-clients and a great number of suspicious programs from unknown developers.
How can Spyware be detected?
As a rule, the task of detecting Spyware is many-sided and has a couple of solutions:
1. Installation of Firewall (for example Outpost Firewall Pro, Norton Personal Firewall, Kerio Personal Firewall, etc.) that will immediately inform you about suspicious network activity of any program.
2. Installation of IDS (Intrusion Detection System) software that provides you with real protection in real time by immediately recognizing and stopping attempted, unwanted or malicious behavior by other programs. A perfect example of such software is Arovax Shield (http://www.arovaxshield.com) – a brand new and effective spyware detector and remover.
3. Installation of specialized software for Spyware removing. You can use Arovax Antispyware (http://www.arovaxantispyware.com), SpyBot-Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware, MS Antispyware, etc.
4. Using special antivirus programs. In most cases, they can be found on the web-sites of major modern antivirus software.
How to remove the found Spyware?
It is best to use proper software to ‘treat’ found Spyware programs. Such software cleans the registry correctly and removes all found spy modules. Consider the fact that some antivirus programs can only detect Spyware and in most cases are not able to ‘treat’ your PC from them.
You can also try to remove Spyware manually. However, this variant is suitable for experienced users only. In this case you will need not only to remove Spyware executing modules (you might need to load OS in safe mode) but to edit the system registry in order to get rid of harmful programs links as well.
How to protect your PC from further infections?
The receipt is simple: install all updates for your OS, install proper antispyware software, antivirus and Firewall, keep them always up-to-date and do not install suspicious programs from the Internet.
www.absolutelybelleville.cm or email : dougs1951@yahoo.com

One type of computer security risk is unauthorized access and use.
Unauthorized access is the use of a computer or network without permission. Hackers typically break into a computer by connecting to it and then logging in as a legitimate user. Some intruders do no damage but they merely access data, valuable information or programs on the computer.
Unauthorized use is the use of a computer or its data for unapproved or illegal activities. It includes a variety of activies such as gaining access to a bank computer and performing an unauthorized bank transfer etc.
Preventing Unauthorized Access and Use
1. Have a written acceptable use policy (AUP) that outlines the computer activities for which the computer and the network may and may not be used.
2. The use of firewall
3. Access Controls
4. Intrusion detection software
5. Audit trails
Intrusion detection software = analyzes network traffic, assesses vulnerability, identifies unauthorized access and notifies network administrators of suspicious behaviour patterns or system breaches.
Access controls = defines who can and cannot access a computer, when they can access it and what actions they can take. Includes a user name and password, a possessed object, a biometric device and a callback system.
Audit trail = records in a file both successful and unsuccessful access attempts.
www.absolutelybelleville.com or email: dougs1951@yahoo.com

You’ve probably heard the word “defrag” before when talking to your resident computer nut. If you ask 5 different technology whizzes about it, you’ll probably get 5 different answers about its effectiveness.
So what does “defrag” mean?
“Defrag” is short for “defragment,” which gives you a bit of a clue as to what it does.
Think of your computer hard drive like a local bookstore. As people purchase books, holes appear on the shelves. Now imagine that as the storekeeper receives new shipments of books, he fills the holes on the shelves AS HE FINDS THEM instead of reorganizing the existing books (to fill the holes) and then putting the new ones into the appropriate section of the store. Eventually what you get is a mess of a bookstore, with books scattered everywhere.
As you use your computer, this is what is happening with your hard drive. By deleting files from your computer, you are creating holes or spaces where new data can go. The only problem is that the holes are all different shapes and sizes. So when you go to save that new document you have been working on, some of it gets put in one spot and the rest gets put somewhere else.
This leads us to the question, “Why should I care about all of this defragging stuff? Does it really matter?”
Let’s go back to our story about the bookstore…
One day you walk into our bookstore and ask the storekeeper to help you find the new book on real estate investing. The storekeeper says, “Sure, I know I saw it come in. Let me go find it for you. It shouldn’t take more than a few HOURS.”
This is EXACTLY why you should care about defragging.
As your computer ages, the hard drive becomes more and more fragmented. Data is scattered everywhere. The more scattered it is the longer it will take to find anything.
Being that time is one of your most valuable assets, regularly defragging your hard drive will reorganize all of your data and help your computer run more quickly. If you have never defragged your computer, you will probably see quite an improvement in your computer’s speed after the first defrag.
If you use Microsoft Windows XP, you will find the defrag program by clicking on Start–>All Programs–>Accessories–>System Tools–>Disk Defragmenter.
If you are running a Mac or use Linux, you don’t have to worry about defragmenting your disk, because it is pretty much done behind the scenes for you.
Defragmenting your hard drive every month will save you time and money and is a fast and easy way to make sure your computer runs as quickly as it can for as long as possible.
Regularly defragging your hard drive (every month or so) will help to keep your computer running more quickly and will help you get more done in less time. Run the defrag program at night so that it is done by the time you start working in the morning.
www.absolutelybelleville.com or email: dougs1951@yahoo.com